Two Virginia Republican lawmakers are calling for criminal charges and the revocation of a nursing license after VCU Health fired nurse Malinda Cook for TikTok videos that suggested using syringes filled with saline or succinylcholine to deter ICE agents. VCU says it investigated the matter, terminated Cook, and met state reporting requirements, while VCU Police have opened a separate inquiry. Lawmakers urged prosecution and said the Department of Justice could become involved if state authorities do not act. The incident has prompted broader debate about violent rhetoric and social media.
Virginia Lawmakers Demand Charges After VCU Nurse Urged Harming ICE Agents in Viral TikToks
A Virginia Commonwealth University nurse's TikTok video from Jan. 14, 2026, has gone viral after it was posted by LibsOfTikTok on X.(Fox News)
Two Virginia Republican lawmakers are demanding criminal charges and professional discipline after a Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health nurse was fired for videos that encouraged harming U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel.
What Happened
VCU Health confirmed Tuesday that it dismissed nurse Malinda Cook after a series of TikTok videos she posted went viral. In one short clip captioned "#ice #resistance #sabotage," Cook described what she called a "sabotage tactic" for medical providers:
"I thought of something good. Sabotage tactic, or at least scare tactic. All the medical providers, grab some syringes with needles on the end. Have them full of saline or succinylcholine, you know, whatever. Whatever. That will probably be a deterrent. Be safe."
Succinylcholine is a depolarizing neuromuscular blocker used in clinical settings to cause rapid, short-acting paralysis during certain medical procedures; it produces muscle paralysis for roughly four to six minutes and is not an anesthetic by itself. Medical experts caution that intentionally injecting paralytic agents into someone outside a controlled medical setting is dangerous and could be lethal.
Investigation and Institutional Response
After the posts drew widespread backlash, VCU said it conducted an internal investigation and terminated Cook. A VCU Health statement to Fox News Digital said: "Following an investigation, the individual involved in the social media videos is no longer employed by VCU Health. In addition, VCU Health has fulfilled its reporting requirements under Virginia state law."
ICE agents stand at the scene where a woman was fatally shot earlier in the day during an enforcement operation on Jan. 7, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
VCU Police confirmed they are investigating the videos. Both the university and Cook did not provide additional comment when contacted.
Lawmakers' Reaction
State Sen. Glen Sturtevant (R–Chesterfield) told Fox News Digital that firing was "the easy thing" but urged criminal prosecution. "Secondarily, we need to know what the law enforcement investigation is doing and how it's going to end, and I don't see how this woman does not get charged with something, whether it's state crime or whether or not [the] Department of Justice gets involved," he said, adding that Cook should also lose her nursing license.
Delegate Wren Williams (R–47th District) said the nurse "needs to be prosecuted" and "made an example" for advocating harm. Sturtevant characterized the videos as not only endorsing violence but also providing specific instructions for how to carry it out. He also asked VCU to explain how Cook was hired and whether any posts were recorded on hospital property.
Context
The episode has reignited debate over violent political rhetoric and social media's role in amplifying threats. Some lawmakers suggested the Department of Justice could intervene if state authorities do not pursue charges. The case remains under investigation.
Note: Neither VCU Health nor Malinda Cook responded to additional requests for comment after initial statements.
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